Unconscious bias in the workplace

On Thursday 21^st October, L6 were joined by Jill Thompson and Chris Dixon from Jacobs who talked about unconscious bias, what it means to practice conscious inclusion and how it impacts the workplace. 

A good discussion regarding inclusion verses diversity raised awareness of going above and beyond just having a diverse workforce to making sure that everyone is included and feels they have a voice.  

Chris explained that employees were more likely to perform better if they felt they had a voice, and their thoughts and ideas were being considered. 

Jill talked to the students about the halo effect – putting someone forward for a project based on some good work they did a year ago as opposed to their suitability for the current project.  

Students were asked to consider their own unconscious biases and how they would mitigate these biases in the future. Such as, working with people they wouldn’t normally consider or inviting peers to be a part of a project based in their skills rather than their previous performance.

Mrs Odell explained how important it was to look at the equality, diversity, and inclusion policies of any future employer they are considering working for to ensure they would be working in a supportive and inclusive environment.